Past Reflections
by Zachana16
Summary: Everyone knows that Yami and Seto had a past life, but what about Yuugi? What if he had a past life, and even knew the Pharaoh? Here's a little something I came up with. Enjoy.
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.

AN: This is my version of events taking place during Ancient Egypt. Some things won't be accurate, but I'll try to stay as in character as possible. Thank you and enjoy.

_Prologue_

_He was dreaming. He had to be dreaming. Nothing real could be like this. Darkness. All around him there was naught but deep, foreboding darkness. It seemed endless. Everywhere he looked, everywhere he turned, there was darkness. He felt cold, abandoned. He couldn't get out on his own. He needed help. He needed his other._

_He needed someone to lead him from this darkness. He'd never been left to the darkness before. His other had always protected him from it. _

_His voice sounded hollow as he spoke his thoughts. "Speaking of...Where is my other? Where's Yami? Why hasn't he come for me yet?"_

_The sound of feminine laughter provided him with his only response._

_Yuugi whirled around to face the new comer to his dark dream. She was tanned like Malik, which meant she was probably Egyptian. Her hair was long and flowing about her slender form. She was wearing a simple white robe, similar to what Ishizu had been wearing the last time he'd seen her. What caught and held his attention, though, was her uncanny resemblance to himself. She had his light violet eyes and his tri-colored hair. They were also the same height and had the same basic build. _

_All at once he found himself bathed in this bright white light. The woman floating across from him smiled sweetly and held her hand out to him. Yuugi shook his head at her offered hand then tried to figure everything out._

_"Who are you? What are you doing in my dream? And where's the Pharaoh?"_

_The woman flinched at the mention of the spirit then said, "I am called Irisa. I am a magician from the days of ancient Egypt. I've come to show you the past you and many others have forgotten."_

_It was only then that the young duelist noticed the staff in his look-alike's hand. It was similar to the Dark Magician Girl's, except that it was all white with a bright gold orb at the end. Something occurred to him then as her words finally sunk in._

_"You're from the spirit's past life, aren't you."_

_"Indeed I am, little Yuugi."_

_"You know my name too? Are you here to unlock the pharaoh's memories for him?"_

_A look of sadness passed over the young woman's features then. Her voice was very soft and pained as she said, "I am here for you, Yuugi Mouto. I am not the one who can unlock the power of the pharaoh."_

_"Why do you look so much like I do?"_

_"Ah, that, I can tell you. We look alike because, in another lifetime, I **was** you."_

_Yuugi fell flat on his rear end. There was no way that could be true! He and Yami had looked into the past many times and there had never been any proof that he had a past life with the spirit. But what reason could Miss Irisa have for lying to him about something like that? _

_"You don't believe me."_

_"Well, no."_

_"(Sigh) There is proof of my existence buried in your memories. The spirit of the puzzle has memories of me as well. Many do, but none have recovered these memories. Many aspects of our past lives are still unknown."_

_"So, you're telling me that I was a girl in a past life? Did I know the spirit then too?"_

_Now her saddened expression turned to one of wistful happiness. It was a look he'd seen on the spirit a few times. She was recalling a very happy memory from the past._

_"You did know him! I knew it!"_

_Irisa angled her staff to the side as she floated there in front of her future self. Her posture changed to one of grim determination. The story she was about to tell wasn't all pleasant._

_"Yes, I knew the pharaoh. I knew him very well, but that is a tale for another day. There is little time. I must unlock your memories now before its too late."_

_"Too late for what?" Now he was confused._

_"Before history repeats itself. For as long as I can remember; every time the pharaoh fell in love, his rival came along and destroyed his happiness. Set was always a jealous man, but he also hated Atemu with a passion. They were always fighting, even before the battle that claimed both of their lives. What I'm about to show you will open your eyes to things you had only imagined before. You'll have the answer to questions that have plagued everyone from the beginning. You will be able to answer the pharaoh's questions about the past. No longer will you be left in shadow. Brace yourself Yuugi, this is going to be rough. Ra, protect you."_

_With these words Irisa pointed the end of her staff at Yuugi's heart and blasted him with it. All at once her memories of the past surfaced in his mind. She had been with him the entire time. It had been her, not Yami, that had kept his faith directed towards the heart of the cards. She was the one that had kept him pure hearted. He was being overwhelmed. Images of ancient Egypt floated towards him. He was surrounded by them, drowning in them. He lost himself. It was beginning._

Well that's it.

Like? Hate?

Please be kind and review, this is my first attempt at Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction.


	2. Emerge from the Darkness

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.

AN: The next couple of chapters are a depiction of something that happened during Ancient Egypt. Some things won't be accurate, but I'll try to stay as in character as possible. Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter One: Emerge from the darkness

**Ancient Egypt**

He had escaped. After spending four hours in a pointless meeting with his priests he had finally managed to get away. He had snuck away in the shadows when Priest Set had looked away. Knowing Set, and he did, he would be after him in a matter of minutes. It was always so hard to hide from his cousin. Ever since they were children Set had had this uncanny ability to find him no matter where he had hidden. As adults Set used this particular talent to find his young apprentice as well as his royal cousin on occasion.

Atemu smiled at this. He hadn't met Set's apprentice yet, but he had heard that she was very talented in the arts. From what Set had told him, the girl was not yet sixteen and could already control her Ka spirit. He did not know what her spirit beast was, but it had to be powerful if Set was training her. Atemu had never known his strong willed cousin to take on an apprentice that was so young, but it seemed there was a first time for everything. If anything did happen to change Set's mind about the girl then Mahaado could take on another apprentice.

He pulled himself from his thoughts as he got closer to his secret spot. He would need to be especially alert now. If Set saw him before he got into the hideout he'd have to go back to the meeting. Atemu had to flatten himself to the shadowed wall behind him as Set and Mahaado both came striding past. Mana must have gotten into trouble too. Leave it to his mischievous friend to find a way to get out of her daily studies when Mahaado's attention was elsewhere. Her distraction would also help him. Every time Mana escaped and hid, Mahaado had to ask Set to help him find her. This meant that his head priest would be less likely to see him before he got to his hiding spot.

After the two priests passed his spot a second time Atemu decided to make a run for his special spot. He made it to the door and through the hidden entrance mere moments before Set and Mahaado made another pass. He was free, at least for the time being. Atemu relaxed his tired body in the safety of the entrance for a few minutes before venturing further into the garden.

He had found this place when his father was still pharaoh. He had been about seven at the time and had been trying to find a way to successfully hide from his cousin in a game of hide and seek. He had hidden behind the ivy that clung to the wall of the hidden garden when his hand had accidentally depressed the button that opened the door. Needless to say Set had not found him that day.

Atemu came out of his musings once more when he heard the sound of a soft, musical voice drift over to him from somewhere in his garden. Someone had found his secret hiding spot. He was not pleased. How could anyone have found this place? Now angry Atemu stalked his way towards the origin of the voice. One way or another, his intruder would leave this place. He would not share his spot with anyone!

He made certain he stuck to the shadows as he made his way closer to the intruder. The sight that greeted him was not one he had expected. From his place in the shadows Atemu could see the intruder without her seeing him. The last thing he wanted was to be caught spying even if she was the intruder and not him.

Yes, it was a woman, and a very lovely one at that. Her skin was slightly lighter than his, but not by much. It was obvious that she had been raised here in Egypt. Only the people of his kingdom had that healthy tan to their skin.

Her hair was a light blond, something very rare in this country, and flowed clear past her waist. The color stopped abruptly at her bangs. There were strands of maroon and black hair running the length of her bangs. This realization caused him to absentmindedly tug at a strand of his own unruly hair. Her hair was like his, at least as far as colors went. That in itself was strange.

Atemu leaned closer so that he could see her better. She was dressed in the simple white robes of the servant class. She did have a white ornament in her hair, but that was probably a gift from whoever she worked for. She was also completely unadorned by the normal gold jewelry preferred by the upper class.

This meant that she had probably come here the same way he had, by pure accident. She had most likely been cleaning or something to the sort and had just happened to touch the hidden button. Though his anger had long since dispersed Atemu was silently relieved by this revelation.

He shook his head again to focus back on the little servant girl. She seemed familiar somehow, though he was certain he had never met her before. Besides, no decent lady danced around without her sandals on in the middle of a garden that was hidden away in the very heart of the royal palace. Still, he felt as if he knew her from someplace before this. Strange.

She truly was an enchanting creature. There was this strong light that seemed to radiate from her very soul. She was so pure that it was a little difficult to watch her frolic amongst the desert flowers in his garden. Someone like him who was born to forever be in the shadows could never hope to be as free as she was.

As he turned to leave he heard her voice call out across the garden. "I know you're there. You shouldn't stay over there in the dark. Come on out and dance with me."

Atemu froze. If she saw him now, she'd surely bolt for cover. He didn't want to force her to stop her short lived frolicking. Perhaps, if he kept very still, she would think he had left.

"I can see you, you know."

So much for that.

"I do not wish to come out."

The words came out before he could stop himself. Now she really would make him come out.

Her soft laughter preceded her next words. "Why not? Are you afraid of the light?"

"I do not belong in the light. I am eternally cursed to walk in shadow."

"You sound like Priest Set. No one is truly ever meant to walk the path of the shadows. Even those who are often in them do not have to remain there."

"You know the High Priest?"

"Ah...Of course. Everyone knows him. He's famous on the outside. Not near as famous as the handsome young pharaoh though. Everyone likes the Pharaoh."

He found himself smiling at her blunt honesty. He was well aware of his cousin's fan club, and there wasn't a woman in all of Egypt that didn't want to have his attention. He knew that his people were very fond of him as well. This girl really was charming.

Still hiding in the shadows Atemu said, "What do they call you, girl?"

He could see her as she threw her hair over her shoulder and cocked her head to one side before she spoke. "I am Irisa. What should I call you, stranger?"

A small laugh escaped his lips then he said, "Call me Atemu if you would. No one else will."

Irisa gave him a brilliant smile as she said, "Atemu then. Are you going to come down here and dance with me or am I going to have to come up there and make you come down?"

This time he couldn't stop the laughter. As soon as he had composed himself somewhat he said, "My dear lady, I sincerely doubt you could budge me from my position unless I let you."

"How much are you willing to bet that I can?"

"That sounds like a challenge, Lady Irisa."

She waved her hand at his shadowed form then said, "Call it what you will, but I will have my way."

Atemu planted his feet in the solid stone at his feet and waited for his young visitor to make her move. Before he had even realized what she was doing the pharaoh found himself sitting at the feet of the young woman called Irisa.

Dark red eyes met soft violet as he stared up at her in bewilderment. Never before had he been so completely taken by surprise like that. He had no clue how she had done this.

He had not seen her move from her spot. He knew she could not have moved quickly enough to bring him next to her and still have had time to return to her original position. This was all very confusing.

She held her had down to him and said, "Atemu, I told you I could get you down here. Now you must dance with me."

He was a little unnerved by her easy use of his first name. Didn't she even know who he was? If she did, did she just not care? Few people knew his given name, it was true, but most at least knew what he looked like. This was a most confusing situation. She even had the nerve to order him around. He found he didn't actually mind as much as he should. She was a pleasant person to be around. He was enjoying himself much more than he would have if he had just come here alone.

Atemu took her offered hand and rose to his feet. He was easily a good head taller than she was, but it didn't seem to faze her in the least. She just looked at him with a calm, even stare.

Shaking his head to clear his mind Atemu said, "Have you no idea who you are talking to?"

Her head quirked to the side again. "You're Atemu. What more should I know?"

He felt a strange pain in him at her words. For the first time since before he was made pharaoh someone wanted to be around him just to enjoy his company. She was different from any woman he had ever met before. She was like a beacon of light in his otherwise dark existence. He silently sent a prayer up to Ra that he would be able to see her again after today. She had given him back something he thought was lost a long time ago; hope. Hope for a better future for himself. Hope of finding someone to complete his life.

He felt like himself for the first time in Ra only know how long. To her he was simply Atemu. He didn't have to impress her. He didn't have to hide himself from her. They could be themselves. It was refreshing to feel this way, to feel anything other than the constant boredom of his everyday life.

" Egypt to Atemu, come in Atemu. Hey, are you okay?"

He was shaken abruptly from his revelations by her soft voice.

He shook his head. "What is it?"

He still held her hand in his own. He had never actually let her go before. As soon as he realized this he released her and stepped back from her.

Irisa twirled around once then began dancing in small circles around him. All the while she laughed and sang an Egyptian lullaby. She was teasing him!

He gave her a smile before he caught her at the waist and said, "You crafty little thing. Stop that. You should not play with one such as I."

"Why not? What are you going to do, bite me?"

He still held her while he spoke. "Do you know how old I am?"

"Nope."

"I am not yet twenty, but I will be by the end of this year. You cannot be much older than thirteen yourself. I might hurt you."

"You're being over cautious, Atemu. I'm just trying to get you to lighten up some. Besides, what are friends for if not to bother one endlessly?"

"Irisa..." He warned her with his tone.

She took his arms away from her before she spoke. "I'm fifteen, Atemu; I can take care of myself." She shook her head before she continued. "Let us just forget about all this and just enjoy ourselves. Come, sit with me. We will talk instead."

"Alright." He said as he sat down on the fountain that sat in the middle of the garden.

"I'll go first. Do you have any family?"

He gave her this faint smile before he said, "I have a cousin. My mother died having me and my father passed on a few years ago. My cousin is the only living family I have."

"You are lucky then. I have no family. I'm alone in this world."

"Perhaps you should consider getting married then."

"Me, get married to some pompous nobleman. I think not."

Atemu chuckled. "You are an interesting woman, and you make me laugh. Not an easy feat, I assure you. Now, it is my turn to ask a question. How did you manage to bring me from the shadows without seeming to move?"

The smile left her face, but she did answer him. "My Ka spirit. I asked him to bring you to me."

"You have control of your spirit beast?"

"Yes, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but that is beside the point. If you have that much control of your spirit beasts then you should be a magician. The country can never have too many protectors."

"More like our pharaoh can never have too many soldiers. I've seen the sorts of things the mages have to do by order of the pharaoh. Enough of such matters. It is my turn again. Tell me of your childhood."

The two continued like this for some time with no knowledge of the passing time. Soon, the shadows had overtaken the sun filled garden and the two were left in the darkness of the night. They would have gone on all night if they hadn't been stopped by the sound of voices outside the garden.

"Pharaoh! Pharaoh, where are you! Come on now, cousin, this isn't funny! You have all of your priests out looking for you! Come out right this instant! Don't make me use my Millennium Rod to find you. So help me Ra if I have to use it I will strangle you. Pharaoh!"

Atemu cringed. His cousin didn't have any infliction in his voice, but he could tell he was worried. Set was older than he was by only two years, and it gave him the notion that he had to worry constantly for his royal cousin. He really had lost track of the time. It was just so easy to forget everything when he was talking with his new friend. If it had only been Set out looking for him Atemu would have gladly let his cousin sweat for awhile longer, but as he could hear both Mahaado and Mana calling for him as well he couldn't remain hidden any longer.

Turning to Irisa he said, "I have to go now, but I want to see you again."

Irisa seemed to concentrate on something else for a moment before she answered him. "Okay. I'll see you here tomorrow, same time?"

"Yes. Until then. Sweet dreams and may Ra guard you where you go."

"And may the goddess Isis guard you, my friend."

Atemu nodded then quickly left before his cousin really did use the Millennium Rod to find him. He didn't want Set to discover Irisa so he left before the older man had the chance. Hopefully, he could continue seeing her without her finding out that he was Pharaoh. Besides, if he remained there any longer Set would probably blow his cover anyway. He did not wish for anything to change their new found friendship.

He strode over to his cousin then said, "Set, I am here."

Set whirled around on him and drew the rod on him. He looked startled for a moment then relieved. As soon as he realized what he had done he put the rod back into its place at his side.

"Do you have any idea how worried we've all been about you? You have been missing all day, Atemu."

"You must really have been worried if you are using my true name like this. My apologies, Set. I was resting in the shade and I must have dozed off. Can you blame me, though? The only thing we were doing was listening to Ishizu and Karim arguing over some frivolous activity not worthy of my royal attention. I could not stand it another minute so I just slipped away."

Set snorted. "Be that as it may, Pharaoh, you still should not have dodged your responsibilities like that. You had that meeting with the ruler from France today and you missed it. I told him you were indisposed elsewhere."

"Thank you, my cousin. Now then...I am in need of something to eat. Care to join me?"

His stoic cousin gave him a slight inclination of his head in answer then said, "Of course. It is not like I have anything better to do."

"She get away again?"

"Yes. I swear, if I had known taking on an apprentice would be this stressful I would have left it to Mahaado. She is worse than Mana!"

Atemu chuckled. This was a regular conversation as of late. Set always complained when his new apprentice gave him the slip, even though he was capable of finding her with ease. From what he had been told, the girl loved to hide on the statues of the gods that lined the outer halls of the palace. She was particularly fond of the statue of Isis, the goddess that she had apparently been born under.

"Perhaps you are being too hard on the girl, Set. She only just came here."

"I know. I don't know what I expected from her when I took her in, but it was not this. She drives me crazy. Half the time I don't know rather to hit her with my Millennium rod or just toss her out on her ass."

"Now, now. Lets get something to eat and I'll hear about your troubles."

As the two cousins continued on their way to the dining hall a slight figure snuck out of the hidden garden Atemu had just recently exited. He had no clue that his new friend would turn out to be the least likely of people. Things were not always what they seemed.

That's it.

Like? Hate?

Please be nice this is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic.


	3. An Unexpected Discovery

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.

Notes:

Okay, I'm taking this directly from one of the Shonen Jump books a friend of mine has. I hope it explains the concept of Ka and Ba and anything else. It is an exact quote from the book, so I'll put it in quotes.

"As you know, all people have two souls. The Ba and Ka. The Ba is undying...The energy of their soul. It nourishes the Ka, the spirit that is the reflection of their true nature and which may leave the body. A good soul gives rise to a Spirit or God Ka. An evil soul turns into a Monster or Demon Ka. Each of those is determined by the strength of the Ba."

This all comes from what little I've learned from other stories and from reading books about Egyptian concepts. I hope this is at least partially correct. The whole thing confuses me so...

Also, there is some minor OOCness in this chapter, but not too bad I hope. And Set is a jack ass here as well.

AN: The next couple of chapters are a depiction of something that happened during Ancient Egypt. Some things won't be accurate, but I'll try to stay as in character as possible. Thank you and enjoy.

**Chapter Two: An unexpected discovery **

Four months later...

He was running late. He was supposed to have met up with Lady Irisa exactly two hours ago, but a matter of great importance had delayed him at the last minute. She was going to be furious with him. Atemu didn't hold himself back as he navigated the hallways of his palace. His long legs quickly ate up the distance between his throne chamber and his secret hide-a-way. He didn't have time for the normal stealth he needed to reach the chamber without being seen. He would have to chance being seen by his cousin or one of the other priests.

They had been seeing each other in secret every day for the past four months. In that time he had learned more about Irisa than he had ever been able to learn about people he had known for years. She was easy to talk to, and even easier to get to know. She was almost as close to him now as Mana and Mahaado were. Soon he hoped to introduce his two oldest friends to his newest one.

There were only two things that bothered him about her. She had this amazing control over her Ka Spirit, but she claimed to hate the mages that used them. She could be as strong as one of his priests, but she chose to be nothing more than a simple servant. The amount of power she had exibited over the past few months was easily equal to one of his stronger priests. Irisa could definatly give Mahaado a run for his money.

The other thing that bothered him was that she was definatly getting stronger. Someone had to be training her to use her gifts, but she wouldn't tell him who it was. Every so often she would come to one of their meetings with this faint glow around her that usually signalled a recent use of some strong magics. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was training with Set. That wasn't possible though. Set would not have taken a servant girl as his apprentice.

Atemu quickly turned his attention back to the world around him as he approached the hidden entrance to his sanctuary. No one was around, but he needed to be certain before proceeding forward. He let his Ka beast out to use its speical abilities in determining if anyone was close enough to give away his spot. Since the Winged Dragon didn't give him any signal to the contrary Atemu walked over to his hidden garden and tapped the button to get in. Once inside he let the door slide shut behind him and slowly decended the stairs to the main garden.

The muffled sound of crying caused his pace to quicken. Something was wrong, he could feel it. The very air was thick with it. His Millenium Puzzle glowed from its place around his neck as the remnants of violence reached him.

He could not hide his growing panic as he began racing towards the place they usually met. Something was very wrong. Someone had done something to her. She was hurting, crying.

"Ra, give me streangth." He chanted the prayer as he leapt the last few steps at the entrance of their meeting place.

The sight that met his eyes was not one he had ever wished to see. Irisa, his kind, innocent friend, was halfway sprawled out on the ground next to the fountain. Her clothing had been burned and ripped, and her skin was covered in dark bruises and burns. Most of her face was drenched with so much blood that he couldn't even tell if the bruises on her neck extended to her face. Her slight form shook with violent sobs as she lay there, completly devoid of any will to do anything about her state. He had a pretty good idea what had happened.

He cleared his throat softly to announce his precence then said, "Irisa, it is Atemu."

Her crying let up somewhat when he spoke. At least she wasn't so traumatized that she didn't know who he was. That was a relief, at least.

Her voice was raw from crying for so long as she said, "Atemu? You came after all. I'm sorry that you have to see me this way. Please don't look at me."

All at once his feet unrooted from their spot and he went to her side. Gods, there was so much blood. Whoever had done this had been trying to break her, both physically and emotionally.

"This is wrong. Who did this to you?" He reached for her as he spoke, but she shrinked away from his touch.

Atemu held his anger in tight reign as he tried to comfort Irisa. It hurt him to see her like this. She was so frightened, so weak. It was so strange to see her like this when only yesterday she was her normal self.

"Do not pull away from me, Irisa, I will not hurt you. You must trust me. I have never done anything to harm you."

She seemed to become even smaller as she carefully sat up to look him in the eye. Her vivid violet eyes were filled with pain. She had little of her original fight left in her slight frame. The look in her eyes pained him more than anything he had seen before. She looked so lost, so helpless just sitting there like that.

After a long silence she finally spoke to him again. "I was so scared. I thought he would kill me. He's hit me before, but never like this. Something must have upset him. He's never been this violent before."

Her voice broke. She could say no more.

"Irisa..." He called softly to her as he reached to touch her face.

"Please, don't...If you do I'll..."

She broke down. Atemu left his hand on the side of her face as he tried to peice everything together. This had happened before, but he had never seen so much as a bruise on her. His Ka Spirit was growling its rage at this whole situation.

Nothing he could say right now would help her. Only a kind action would ease her pain. For now, it was all he could do for her. With this in mind the young pharaoh removed his hand from her face then used both hands to gently pull the sobbing girl into his arms. At once her face found his shoulder and she began sobbing all the harder.

Atemu drew her closer to his body as her sobbing grew more and more pronounced. It really bothered him that she was this upset. Nothing before this had ever caused such a reaction in him. It both disturbed and confused him. Why her? He shook his head at his thoughts then turned his attention back to the young woman in his arms. She needed him now. Anything else would have to wait until a later time.

After a little time had gone by Atemu decided to repeat his earlier question. "Who did this, Irisa. Tell me his name so that I may go kill him."

Her voice sounded strange when she answered him. "I don't want you to get hurt, Atemu. He's a very powerful man."

"I will be fine. Please, tell me."

She buried her face against his chest again then gave him a muffled answer. "My master did this. He is the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. You could never hope to beat him."

His body went very still. "You mean Set did this? The High Priest of all Egypt beat an innocent girl?"

"He had every right to hit me. He is my master."

"I do not care who he is, he had no right to do this to you!"

Irisa pulled far enough away to look Atemu straight in the eye before she spoke again. "Atemu, listen to what I'm telling you. High Priest Set doesn't own me, he is my teacher."

His anger grew tenfold at her words. It was no wonder he could never see the bruises she recieved before. Set had healed her after every beating before this. Then the rest of what she had said hit him. She was Set's apprentice. Irisa was the young prodigy that Set had been telling him about for months. It was no wonder he had never seen her, she was always locked away in the study with Mana.

"You are Set's apprentice?"

"Yes, I am. I should be with him still, but after what he did I couldn't just..." She looked away as her voice trailed off.

"I am going to kill him. I swear to Ra I am."

Irisa turned into his chest more and wrapped her arms around his waist to keep him from rushing off into what she saw as a hopeless battle. She pulled back again slightly when the Millenium Puzzle started jabbing into her chest. As soon as she saw it she jumped away from him and immediatly bowed her head.

"You...You're the Pharaoh. All this time I've been talking with the Pharaoh. Why didn't you tell me?"

Atemu touched his hand to the bottom of the young magican's chin and lifted it so that she was looking him in the eye again before he said, "Because, my lady, if I had you would not have been so open to me. I would not know you the way I wished to. I was afraid you would not want to see me any longer if you knew."

He silently cursed himself for his thoughtlessness while he waited for her to answer. He had never forgotten to remove his puzzle before this, but in his haste to get here he must have forgotten to stop by his chambers and drop off the puzzle. He hadn't worn it before so that she would not recognize him. Nothing to do about it now.

"Nothing could make me regret having this time with you, my Pharaoh, but it would be wrong for us to continue seeing each other like this. Please, just leave me here and go. I can't be seen with you."

"Irisa...I am not going to leave you like this. I also intend to give my cousin a peice of my mind about what he has done to you." With these words Atemu carefully lifted Irisa into his arms and began walking towards the exit.

"Pharaoh! Put me down right now! This is not proper at all! Let me go!"

This continued as Atemu carried his injured friend from the secret garden all the way through the palace towards the library near the temple. All along the way people stopped and stared as the two passed. He ignored their pointed remarks and used his top speed to navigate the maze like corridors of his palace.

He kicked in the library door some twenty minutes later and let out a roared command of, "Mahaado! You are needed!"

Mahaado, who had been sitting reading a book with Mana, leapt from his posistion and came immediatly to the pharaoh's side. His apprentice followed at his heals. Both of them had been friends with Atemu since he was still being called Prince. Very little merited his loud bellow at the two mages.

"Dear Ra, Atemu, what has happened? Are we under attack?"

Atemu took a deep breath to calm his raging emotions then said, "No, but I do need your help. This is Lady Irisa. She is Set's apprentice and in need of some medical assistance."

Mahaado took one look at the girl in the Pharaoh's arms and immediatly shook his head. "I am not a medical doctor. You should take her to see the palace doctor."

The Pharaoh carefully placed his burden in one of the chairs scattered about the room then turned to address his priest. "I know that, but it is not her injuries I need you to look at. She has some mastery over her Ka beast, but she did not use it to defend herself from the one that attacked her. Even if she did not consiously call it, it still should have come to her aid when she was threatened. I think someone might have placed a sealing spell on her Ka."

It was Mana who spoke next. "If she is truely Set's apprentice, then wouldn't he have been the one to place any sealing spells on her. Perhaps her Ka Spirit is stronger than what she can control. I know that was the case with mine."

Atemu nodded to his friend then said, "I don't think this was the case, Mana. I've seen her Ka Spirit myself at least a dozen times in the past. She has never been without the protection of the creature."

The two mages exchanged a look between themselves before turning back to their aggitated friend. They could both see something more than what was clearly being said. It was a gift the two shared.

While Mana went to fetch the palace doctor Mahaado tried to placate the still fuming pharaoh.

"I have never seen you like this before, Atemu. Could it be that you care for her?"

Atemu stopped his frustrated pacing to stare blankly at the floor. There was a long pause before he finally spoke again.

"Yes."

He spoke the word so softly that Mahaado had barely heard him, but it meant that Irisa couldn't hear him at all. That was for the best since the Pharaoh wasn't ready to tell her just yet. It was something he could barely fathom himself. There was no way he was ready to share his feelings with Irisa. Instead he started for the door.

"Watch her, Mahaado. I have to go have a talk with my cousin."

Mahaado straightened from his place near the wall and said, "Calm your vengeful spirit before you get there. We don't need a repeat of the last time you and Set fought."

The priest's warning fell on deaf ears as the Pharaoh made his way down the hall in ever quickening strides. Soon he was beyond hearing range of the priest's warnings.

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(Mahaado)

Something was about to happen. He could feel the rise of power from the Millenium Ring as it sensed the oncoming violence. Its power prospered in the presence of violence and destruction. Most of the cursed objects were like that, but the ring was the worst of the seven.

He knew he had to stop it before all of Egypt suffered. It would mean going against the direct order of his pharoh, but the consequences of that one action would pale to those that would come if he stayed here and did nothing.

"Master, what is the matter?" Came the unusually solem voice of his young apprentice.

Mahaado turned to face Mana as he started for the door. "Stay with her, Mana. Do not let her leave this room under any circumstances. I must go."

Mana left the doctor she had brought with her to tend to Irisa and matched her master's pace as he headed down the hall. Her staff was already in her had just as his was. Something was terribly wrong.

"Mahaado, what is going on?"

"Go back to the library, Apprentice."

Mana darted around in front of her master to stop his forward progress before she said, "I will not go back until you tell me what has happened."

The priest's Ka spirit materialized next to him as his agitation grew. He raised one hand and gently placed it against Mana's cheek.

"Please, Mana, do as I say. I don't want you to get involved with this."

She moved to the side. "It's Atemu, isn't it? He's going to fight Set again."

A shocked expression came onto the older magican's face as he stared at his young apprentice. "You are very perceptive, Mana."

Mana put enough distance between herself and her master for Mahaado's hand to slip from her face. The look on her face was a mixture of concern and fear.

"No, I just remember what happened the last time the ring glowed like that. Just promise me you'll be careful."

Mahaado nodded once to his apprentice then started down the hall again, this time without her at his side. She would do as he asked, thank Ra. The last thing he wanted was to have her there if he had to knock out Atemu. He gripped his staff a little tighter as he made his way to the High Priest's sanctuary. This time of day it was the only place Set would be. He could only hope he made it there before the pharaoh started attacking his unprepared cousin.

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End of chapter. See you next time.

Author's Notes: I know that Atemu and Set don't have the right Ka spirits. I just figured that since Atemu was the most powerful man in all of Egypt that he needed the most powerful card as his spirt. As for Set...Well he does have a thing for dragons and Slyfer seemed to be the logical choice. I hope this doesn't bother anyone too much.


	4. Clash of the Titans

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.

Notes:

Okay, I'm taking this directly from one of the Shonen Jump books a friend of mine has. I hope it explains the concept of Ka and Ba and anything else. It is an exact quote from the book, so I'll put it in quotes.

"As you know, all people have two souls. The Ba and Ka. The Ba is undying...The energy of their soul. It nourishes the Ka, the spirit that is the reflection of their true nature and which may leave the body. A good soul gives rise to a Spirit or God Ka. An evil soul turns into a Monster or Demon Ka. Each of those is determined by the strength of the Ba."

This all comes from what little I've learned from other stories and from reading books about Egyptian concepts. I hope this is at least partially correct. The whole thing confuses me so...

AN: The next couple of chapters are a depiction of something that happened during Ancient Egypt. Some things won't be accurate, but I'll try to stay as in character as possible. This chapter kinda strays from the original storyline, but it does have significance. Thank you and enjoy.

WARNING OOC SET!

Chapter Three: Clash of the Titans

He was going to kill him! No one had the right to treat anyone the way his cousin had treated Lady Irisa. He knew that apprentices often received a thump in the head or a light zap from a staff when they did something their master didn't like, but what Set had done had gone far beyond that. He didn't know his cousin could be so cruel. With what Ka Spirit claimed his head priest he shouldn't be surprised. Slyfer was as cruel a beast as they came. It was a wonder it was considered a God Ka at all.

As he drew closer to the temple he knew Set was in Atemu's pace became quicker and quicker. When he reached the steps of the shrine he began taking them two and three at a time. He was so angry right now that he didn't even notice the sharp warning the puzzle was trying to give him. Not all was as it should be within the temple walls.

Atemu stopped moving abruptly as he reached his cousin's study. The door had been blown clear off its hinges by some unseen force. Books, parchment, and some memorabilia from Set's youth were strewn all over the normally neat room. Several of the chairs that littered the room were destroyed and several others were overturned. It looked as if an earthquake had hit the room.

This notion was quickly forgotten when Atemu saw his cousin sitting in the middle of all the destruction. The older man was sitting on his knees with his head bowed down against his chest. His Millennium Rod was sitting on the floor just within reach of his left hand if he had need of it. Set's eyes, normally the clear azure of the Egyptian sky, were a very dull shade of gold. They only ever turned that color when he was upset or low on energy. From the look of the room it could be either of those two.

Forgetting about his anger for that moment Atemu cautiously walked into the destroyed study and came towards his cousin's still form.

"Set, cousin, what has happened in here? Are you alright?"

Set remained quiet for a long moment before quietly answering Atemu. "I lost control. It was all just too much and I lost it. There is no excuse for this. I am sorry, my pharaoh."

As he spoke his eyes never left the ground. Set was such a prideful man that it was odd to see him acting this way. It was as if someone had taken out everything that made him who he was.

"She came to you, didn't she?"

Atemu was jerked from his thoughts by his cousin's silent inquiry. All at once his anger came back to him full force.

"That is correct, Priest Set. I'm trying to understand why you did that. Why would you attack your own apprentice? Why would you beat her to within an inch of her life? I've never known you to beat on those who mean you no harm. What has gotten into you, Set?"

The High Priest's eyes flashed with some unseen pain as he said, "She's dead, Atemu. She's dead. I have failed her. I have failed myself. What sort of person...What sort of manallows a woman to sacrifice herself for him?"

Set rose to his feet and drew himself up to his full height before he continued, "The one person that I truly want to protect goes and gets herself killed. What does that say about me? What does it say for my ability to protect the people that mean something to me? I am completely useless!"

Atemu was completely blown away by his cousin's confession. In a slight daze he asked the one question that would put this whole thing into perspective. "Who are you talking about, Set? Who did you fail to protect?"

The priest's eyes fell back to the ground as he spoke. "Kisara."

It was then that he noticed the large white dragon that sat next to a shredded image of a young woman that had once hung in Set's room. He went to place his hand on his cousin's shoulder, but Set drew back from him then sat back down on the floor in his previous position.

Atemu squared his shoulders. "You are talking about that girl you brought in last month, aren't you? The one with the powerful Ka spirit."

"Her name was Kisara. I was going to make her my apprentice, but..."

"Priest Akunadin had other plans. He seems to always be pushing you in these sorts of things."

Set stood up and whirled around to face his royal cousin in one fluid motion before he said, "You don't know anything! I was never going to hurt her! I could not, not Kisara. There was a fight. Things got out of hand. It was an accident, I couldn't stop it. She...She saved my life. She sealed her life force into her Ka spirit and told it to save and protect me."

"That explains the mess, but not why you hurt Lady Irisa. What did she do to deserve what you did?"

Set's eyes averted from his cousin. "It happened a little while ago. I didn't want her to see me loose my mind. She just wouldn't leave. I just lost it. The power of my rod took me over. By the time I came back to myself the damage had been done."

"You allowed yourself to be corrupted by your Millennium item? That is not like you, Set."

Set turned his back on the pharaoh and let his head drop back against his chest. He took a deep breath then looked over his shoulder to speak to Atemu.

"Get out of my temple, Atemu. I don't want to see you anymore. Leave me."

This set off the pharaoh's temper. His own Millennium item gave a silent warning to him that he would have normally noticed, but right now his judgment was too impaired by this strange anger that was enveloping his heart. He did not yell, but he didn't have too. His royal tone was enough to get the message across.

"I will not leave until this entire matter is settled. You have no right to order me around, Set. I do not care if you are my cousin; no one speaks that way to me."

In an almost identical tone Set said, "Leave. Me. Now."

"Not until you apologize for what you did."

"And if I choose not too? What will you do then, cousin?"

BAM! Everything froze for an instant in time when Pharaoh Atemu did something that he had never done before. He punched his cousin.

Set slid across the room a little ways then stopped himself and grabbed his Millennium Rod. He was much too stubborn to allow Atemu to get away with something like that. He drew himself up to his full height then angled the rod at his royal cousin. Instantly, his powerful guardian appeared in all its glory above his head.

The top of the temple crumbled at the creature's entrance. Atemu had already summoned his own Ka spirit to protect him. This would not be the first time these two titans had clashed. They were both evenly matched. Only Set's loyalty to his cousin ever kept him from trying to take the throne.

Set was being fueled by his intense guilt from the loss of Kisara. He was also grieving her loss, though his aura wouldn't show it. Atemu was fueled by his rage and anger over what Set had done to Irisa.

Before either of them could do any more damage to each other Mahaado arrived and cast his Ka beast into the room.

"I don't think so! Dark Magic Attack!"

The two combatants were momentarily stunned by the priest's attack on them. Their Ka spirits vanished, but remained intangible in the air around them. The hostility in the room was stifling.

"Atemu, this has to stop! It's wrong! Can't you sense that?"

"I will not, not until his swears that he will apologize to Irisa!"

"What has gotten into you, my friend? Your heart has never been filled with such hate before."

"I am fine. Do not interfere."

"The hell you say! I will not sit idly by and watch you two destroy the palace!"

Another voice rang out through the room before the young priest could say anything else.

"Priest Mahaado, move out of the way! They cannot hear you!"

"What are you saying?"

Now, Atemu turned to face the new arrival. As soon as he laid eyes on her some of his anger filtered away.

"Irisa, what are you doing here? You should not be here now."

Irisa had not stayed where she had been left. She had defied both the pharaoh and one of the priests to come here. Her wounds were still bleeding, but she still stood with her back straight and her eyes set straight ahead. She looked determined and powerful. In her right hand was a pure white staff with a gold stone at the end of it.

The eyes of her teacher also landed on her as she moved the staff where he could see it. It was obvious that he recognized the power the thing had.

"You are under the influence of one of the protection charms that are always on the temple. It is designed to make whatever emotion the person is feeling when they enter ten times what it originally was. Thusly, your anger was magnified beyond normal limitations. Normally, your puzzle would have warned you of its presence so that you could properly disperse it before you entered, but for some reason the warning went unheeded."

The pharaoh shrugged off her words and turned to face his cousin again. This still needed to be settled. The power of the Winged Dragon sparked around him as he prepared to lash out again if the need arose.

A bright white light stopped either of them from acting again. The stone on the end of the staff Irisa held in her hand was glowing with this strange power.

"Stop this, Atemu! You are not like this! This is not who you are! Don't fight my master!"

The light surrounded him as he spoke. "Irisa, I am fighting for you. What he did to you was beyond forgiveness."

"He is your cousin, Atemu. You can't do this. Fighting your own flesh and blood for the honor of a woman is just stupid. You are brave and very kind, but you don't need to fight him to spare me. Master Set is grieving. I should have left when he told me to, but I wanted to stay at his side until he felt better. That is my nature. I should not have come running to you the way I did. This was a matter best left between myself and my master."

Now it was Set who spoke. "Stop interfering, Apprentice. Anything he throws at me I can handle. It is the least I deserve for hurting you, for letting down Kisara."

"Master..."

The light from the staff became brighter as Irisa came closer to the two cousins. Their respective Millennium Items glowed in response to her power. There was a vibration in the air as she let more of her previously hidden power seep into her aura. Mahaado had to back away as her power disagreed with the tainted power within his Millennium Ring.

All three of them were staring at the young mage as she stood in the very center of the group. Her aura was very pure and her Ka spirit was almost tangible above her head. It was veiled by a thick fog, but everyone knew of its presence.

Angling the staff towards the group she said, "This, is the heart of Keiran, the treasure of Isis. I am a chosen of Isis, a warrior for her cause. I will clear your minds so that you can calm down and realize what you are doing before you do something you will both regret later."

With that Irisa's body began to glow in time with her staff and these two humanoid figures appeared to either side of her.

"You have two Ka spirits? How is that possible?"

"They are not my Ka spirits, Master, they are my protectors. They were once my brother and sister, but now they are the reflections of their respective Ka spirits."

She gestured to the female of the two figures. She was tall and slender, with light blond hair and violet eyes. White wings spread wide behind her. She was a true God Ka. "This is the Messenger of Angels."

She then gestured to the male. He looked similar to the female, but he was taller and his eyes were a bright gold. "And this is Shining Guardian."

The room filled with a purifying energy as the two Ka spirits floated on either side of Irisa. The spells that protected the temple were instantly dispersed. Set fell back to his knees on the ground, dropping the rod in the process. Atemu let his arms drop to his sides and called back his Ka.

By the time the light had cleared everything had gone eerily silent. Mahaado had completely left the room.

Irisa was now standing alone in the middle of the room. She dropped down next to Set and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Master...Set, everything will be alright. She'll always be with you through the spirit she left to protect her. She loved you, you know?"

Set flinched. He had known. Priest Akunadin had pointed it out to him when she first came to the palace. She had been in love with him since he saved her life.

Irisa continued, "She wouldn't want you to blame yourself for her death. What she did, she did because she wanted to protect you for once." She stood. "I'll leave you now, my master. When you are ready to continue with studies, please come find me. I'll be in the library with Apprentice Mana."

She walked past the pharaoh all the way to the doorway before she said, "My pharaoh, would you and Priest Mahaado please bring me back to the library? I really don't want to get lost."

Set remained where he was. He was silent until everyone had left, then he let out a soft word of thanks to his apprentice. She was more perceptive than he had originally thought.

The two friends walked silently down the hall with Irisa. They remained silent for all of two minutes before the questions started from both of them.

"You have some strong power in you, Miss Irisa. Set must have trained you well."

"Yes he did. My master is the strongest priest in all of Egypt."

"If those two creatures were not your Ka Spirit, then what is your spirit? I have seen them before, but I never knew they were not your spirits."

"If you promise not to tell my master, Pharaoh, then I shall tell you."

"I swear I will not tell him."

"My true Ka spirit is the Shining Dragon with blue eyes."

Mahaado sputtered and stopped to stare at Irisa. He said, "You mean to tell me that one of the strongest monsters ever known is sealed with your soul as your personal Ka Spirit?"

"Yes."

"That is incredible. How could Set not know of such a thing? I know what Mana's Ka is."

"My master has had many other things on his mind since I came to stay at the palace. He is a busy man, so he doesn't always have time to notice some things that he normally would not have missed. He always thought I had an angel type Ka. I just allowed him to think what he wanted."

"This is all very amazing and fascinating, but I believe we should save it for another time."

"Oh?"

Atemu gestured to a very upset Mana. She was standing in the entryway of the library wringing her hands in her skirt and pacing.

Mahaado immediately went to calm her down. As soon as he was close enough Mana latched herself to his robes and hugged him. The normally stoic priest turned bright red and started sputtering at his apprentice.

Irisa leaned into Atemu and cracked up. Atemu looked at her then had to do a double take. Her wounds were all mostly healed. Such had been the power of her guardians. He shook his head. This was going to get much more confusing as time went on. He just knew it would.

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That's it for this chapter.

Like? Hate?

Please Read and Review.

Author's Notes: I know that Atemu and Set don't have the right Ka spirits. I just figured that since Atemu was the most powerful man in all of Egypt that he needed the most powerful card as his sprit. As for Set...Well he does have a thing for dragons and Slyfer seemed to be the logical choice. I hope this doesn't bother anyone too much.

Also, I'm not going to update again until I have at least 35 reviews. So until then. Ja.


	5. Between Then and Now

AN: Well, here we are again. Sorry for the long wait on the update, but I don't have regular computer access while I'm at home from school so…. Well hopefully I'll be putting stuff up faster now that I've returned. No promises but keep your fingers crossed.

Chapter Four: Between then and now

Two months later….

So much had changed in the last two months. Irisa was still Set's apprentice, still at the mercy of the moody priest, but she had learned how to detect her master's moods in time to avoid being hurt by him again. Set had become withdrawn and depressed, almost never leaving his study except for when he was with his apprentice. For some reason, Irisa was able to talk her surly master out of his study and into the world again. He had been grieving for a woman that most barely knew even existed, but had meant the world to him. It was something that he had come to realize after she had been taken from his life.

Mahaado was now taking a more personal role in Mana's apprenticeship. Most everyone in the palace knew the young priest cared for his apprentice. Everyone that is, except for Mana herself, who was oblivious to her master's affections. It didn't help much that she made a habit out of hugging him when something was going on. It helped calm her down, but it made Mahaado a little sad. It bothered him that she was willing to come so close to him, but still had no clue that he cared about her.

Mana had made fast friends with Irisa. The two apprentices spent their afternoons in the palace gardens practicing their new spells on each other or just having a little fun. Sometimes Atemu would sit in the shadows and watch the two of them. He'd also kept his distance from his cousin, whom he could no longer trust fully. It was a rift that was slowly driving the two of them apart.

Atemu had also begun to carefully court Lady Irisa. It had come as quite a shock when he had asked to court her, an even bigger shock when he'd announced the courtship to the masses. Most of his advisors objected to the match, feeling that their pharaoh would be better with someone of noble birth instead of the apprentice mage that he was so taken with. Atemu, of course, ignored the words of the advisors and did exactly what he wanted. Egypt was in an odd state of peace, something that hadn't happened in a long while.

It was during such a time that one of Egypt's worst tragedies began. It was something that would shake Egypt to its core and set the stage for the end of a rule of kings.

I know this is short, but I'm putting out two of these this time so I hope it makes up for it.


	6. Winds of Change

AN: Well, here we are again. Sorry for the long wait on the update, but I don't have regular computer access while I'm at home from school so…. Well hopefully I'll be putting stuff up faster now that I've returned. No promises but keep your fingers crossed.

Chapter Five: Winds of Change

He was a nervous wreck. He hadn't felt like this in a long time, if ever. This was going to be one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do in his entire life. He was planning to ask her to marry him, to become his queen. He knew that they hadn't been together long, but he felt like he'd truly found his soul mate and was ready to settle down with her. He wanted to be with her forever, Ra willing. His courtship of her had been brief true, but he had known the moment he saw her that she was something special. She would make him a good queen, not to mention a happy man. First, though, he had to get permission from the closest person she had to a guardian. That meant facing Set, something that he really wasn't looking forward to.

"Ra be with me for this, I have no choice but to face him." Atemu said softly to himself as he made his way towards Set's study, a place he hadn't been to in nearly two months. Not since their near catastrophic fight there months earlier. It still amazed him that Irisa had allowed the high priest to still be near her after what he'd done to her.

The young pharaoh stopped right in front of the entrance to Set's sanctuary, dispersing the spell that was still placed on the doorway. He'd made the mistake once of going in without dispersing it and it had nearly cost him everything. There was no doubt that he could have beaten Set, but the consequences would have been dire. He'd have likely killed Set, something that Irisa would never forgive him for.

As he neared his cousin's study door Atemu heard the distinct sound of laughter. It was soft, feminine laughter, meaning that Set was in a lesson with Irisa.

"Hm. This could be interesting." He said as he opened the door quietly and stood to watch what was going on.

Irisa had somehow managed to rest the Millenium Rod from her master's hand and was now keeping to one side of a table filled with scrolls to keep him from taking it back. Her long hair was pulled away from her face with a long piece of dark blue cloth, something she'd probably liberated out of Set's quarters during one of the apprentice's raids of their master's rooms. It was a game that he found infinitely amusing. That is, except for when he had to make them give back whatever they stole from the priest's rooms.

Set had his empty hands placed palm down on the opposite side of the table, trying to predict which way his wayward apprentice would run when he made to grab the rod back from her. He seemed to be having quite the time of it too, if the lack of his normal head attire said anything. His cousin's vivid blue eyes were narrowed at the young mage across from him. This was a game of wits, something that Set prided himself on. Atemu gave his cousin credit on that. Set was a brilliant man, more so than many of the royal advisors. It made his council very valuable.

The pharaoh leaned back into the shadows as his intuitive cousin turned his head to look almost straight at him. He knew that the high priest hadn't seen him, and he couldn't sense him without the rod in his hand. Set just had very honed senses from his years as a priest. It made him a dangerous man, with or without the Millenium Rod in his hands.

He was grateful for the distraction that Irisa provided her master a moment later because he had no doubt that, given time, Set would have sniffed him out. He was too good at what he did not to have.

"Master Set, you are not going to get this thing back by letting me escape." Irisa announced boldly from where she'd run to, which was right near one of the chairs in the room.

Set's blue eyes flickered back over to his apprentice quickly. A slight smile graced his face at her words. It was something Atemu hadn't seen his cousin do since Kisara died. He was relieved to see it now because it meant that Set was finally moving on, or at least he was starting to. The way he smiled also suggested that his cousin was playing a game with his apprentice; something that the pharaoh hadn't known the older man did. Mahaado maybe, but never Set.

Oh, it probably hadn't started out as a game between master and apprentice; it was probably something Set had said in passing that Irisa had taken him seriously for. Like telling her to try to remove the rod from his hands and keep it away. She was so loyal to him that she'd probably taken his words seriously and rested the rod away from him before he'd even realized what was happening. The squished version of his hat on the floor suggested that this had been going on for awhile as well.

Suddenly Set lunged across the room at his young apprentice, using his much longer legs to cross the room faster than she could react. He pinned the young woman against the only other door in the room, pressing his weight into her to keep her immobile. He also pressed the palms of his hands into hers, causing her much smaller hands to uncurl from there fisted positions. This also released her hold on the Millenium Rod, sending the cursed object sliding easily back into the hand of its true owner.

"What was that you were saying about me not being able to get it back, Apprentice?" Set drawled slowly at the young woman he still had pinned up against the door.

Irisa laughed at the man she called master and pushed her hands against his in an attempt to get free. Set was much larger and stronger than she was, so that wasn't going to happen without quite a fight.

"Master, let me go. You have your prize, now let me up. Come on, we have to finish this lesson." She told him, her soft violet eyes staring up at him.

"What if I…" Set started then stopped and abruptly stepped away from his apprentice. He inclined his head slightly towards the shadowed form of the pharaoh, and Atemu knew he'd been caught.

"Cousin." Set said with a curt nod of his head. "What brings you to my sanctuary at this time of the day? You know I'm always in lessons at this time."

Atemu watched his cousin with a slight amount of amusement before he finally gave his answer. "I came here looking for you actually. I have something of importance to speak to you about, something I cannot say in front of your apprentice." His crimson eyes shot over to Irisa. "No offense, my lady."

Irisa nodded slightly and shook her head. "None taken, pharaoh."

Set made a slight gesture to his apprentice, something she obviously knew the meaning of because she quickly left the room and left the two cousins to speak in private. The High Priest adjusted one of his chairs and carefully sat down, offering his royal cousin the other seat in the room.

Atemu sat down before he spoke. "I'll make this brief, Set. I know you are a busy man." He took a deep breath. "I know you know that I've been courting your apprentice. If she hasn't told you herself, then surely one of the advisors has."

Set nodded. "What is your point, pharaoh?"

"My point, my priest, is that I now seek to make her my wife."

Set visibly stiffened at his cousin's words. "And this has what to do with me?"

The pharaoh sighed. "Did you know that you are the closest thing she has to a guardian?"

"Yes."

"Then you know what this has to do with you. I want to request her hand in marriage, but to do so I have to go through you, her appointed guardian first."

Atemu noticed that his cousin was twirling the rod in his hand; something he did when he was nervous. Finally, Set's blue eyes came up to look his royal cousin straight in the eyes. "Atemu, you know that I cannot allow this. She is my apprentice for Ra's sake. I refuse to just hand her off to you, pharaoh or not. The last time I left someone that was in my charge with another, she got herself killed. I will not loose another apprentice, not to you or anyone."

"Set…" He was never able to finish his statement.

At that moment something caused one wall of Set's study to blow in, sending debris and furniture flying. Set did what he would always do; he protected the pharaoh. He made sure that Atemu was shielded from the worst of the blast. When things had momentarily settled down both men cautiously got to their feet. The sounds of battle could be heard all the way from the palace.

"We are needed at the palace."

"I know, my cousin, but I must find my apprentice first. Go, I will join you when I have found her."

Atemu nodded his consent to Set then took off back towards the palace. He could only pray that nothing too terrible had happened while he had been speaking with his stubborn priest.

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That's the end of another chapter.

Hope everyone liked this one.

More to come soon, I promise.


	7. To Find the Light

Disclaimer: RUN! IT'S THE RETURN OF THE DISCLAIMER! Achem…Well you know the drill. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters. Now that that's over, on with the story.

Chapter Six: To find the Light

This search was getting him nowhere. He knew his cousin would have need of all his priests on this day. With all the chaos surrounding the palace right now he should have been with the pharaoh. It was his sense of honor that kept him out here, kept him from joining the fight. He had an apprentice, and her safety had to take precedence in this case. Normally, his first loyalty was to the pharaoh, but he had too recently lost someone important to him to risk the loss of another.

Set used his long legs to his advantage, clearing several of the rooms closest to his study in little time. Still, there was no sign of his apprentice. Ra help them all if something had happened to her, for he would be unable to take it again. Not so soon after loosing Kisara. No, Egypt would feel his aggrieved wrath if she were to die as well.

He had little choice, he had to call for her. He was starting to get worried, not a state that the High Priest enjoyed. "Irisa! Apprentice, where are you hiding! I am not the least bit amused by this! Irisa!" His voice grew in pitch and volume the longer he called for her. Time was against them for this, and he would not go to the battle until he'd found his apprentice.

He was about ready to seek her out with the Millenium Rod when he caught a flash of blond hair at the end of the hall. He quickened his pace, determined to catch up with her now that he'd located her at last.

"Apprentice! Stop right where you are!"

Irisa didn't stop. Instead she turned around and launched herself at her master, similarly to what Mana did every time she saw her master and something terrible had happened. It staggered the priest, unseating the hat he wore and sending both of them stumbling back into a wall.

"Irisa, what…." He started, completely baffled by this strange behavior his apprentice was presenting him with. Then he noticed the blood on her clothes. She'd been injured in the explosion.

"Master! I was so scared! One minute I'm on my way to visit Mana and the next….I didn't know what to do! I felt the power of the puzzle rising and I thought for sure something horrible had happened."

Set removed himself from his young apprentice and turned towards the palace, briskly making his way to the battle that awaited them. "Something terrible has happened, my apprentice. We must make haste. The palace is under attack. I have wasted precious time coming to collect you, we are needed. Come, let's go."

Irisa stood where she was for a moment longer and calmed herself. She knew that she was safe so long as she stayed next to her master. She also couldn't keep Master Set from protecting the pharaoh. She'd probably kept him long enough already. Not wanting to delay them any longer than she already had Irisa started after her teacher, determined to make herself useful in the fight.

Set had paused at the end of the hall to allow his apprentice to catch up to him, waiting only until she'd come right up next to him before starting forward again. He was silently both relieved and deeply concerned for his young charge. The blasts that had rocked the palace and his study had also reached this far into the sanctuary, injuring Irisa and who knew who else. Things were beginning to look serious.

Though her injuries had been only minor, the priest had gone ahead and healed her. He didn't want to have to worry about her during this battle, there would be too many other things going on and they were likely to be separated. He could only pray that the gods protected them both.

I know, another short chapter, but I wanted to get this on out since its been so long since my last chapter came out. I hope this was worth the wait. I'm also sorry to say that this may be my last update for awhile. Besides being in the grips of one of the worst writer's blocks I've ever had, I'm also just burnt out with everything. That and school is really…EGH! College, some of you know how it is. I hope I still have a few faithful readers out there and I hope that they enjoy this chapter.


	8. Against all Odds

Disclaimer: Please read last chapter.

Author's Notes: Right off the bat this time. I HAVE RETURNED!!! Achem….Anyway I do apologize for my long absence and I hope I have at least a few readers still out there waiting for this. I'm afraid my cause for the break this time is fairly simple, my computer has died. Its dead and we buried it. So it'll be hard for me to update again until I get a new one. So I have this chapter for everyone to enjoy, even if it may be a little rushed. So ON WITH THE CHAPTER!!!

Chapter Seven: Against all Odds

(Set)

They were frighteningly outnumbered here. He had no idea how so many of these raiders had made it past the guards. All he knew is that they were invading the royal palace of the Pharaoh, and that he had to remove them at once. Later, after everything was settled, he'd have a little talk with Mahaado about the lax in security. For now he had to concentrate on remaining at the Pharaoh's side and not allowing any of these raiders to get close enough to do him harm.

He had noted the presence of most of the other priests, silently relieved that his comrades were still alive. There were so many to fight against them here that their strength would soon wane, but hopefully that time would not come until after this battle was won. Most of the spirits they were fighting were low class and barely worth the effort, but a few had the potential to destroy an unsuspecting priest.

He had long ago lost sight of his apprentice, but knew from the occasional glance of shimmering wings that she was still alive and well enough to summon her Ka spirit. He'd known he's loose her in this chaos, and was glad to know that she was holding her own in this mess. He had trained her well. Sending up one last prayer to Ra for everyone's safety the High Priest once again entered the fight, determined to drive them from the royal palace.

(Mana)

There were so many of them, more than she'd thought there were at first. There were still blasts rocking the palace and the inner sanctuaries of the priests, but there was little time to track down the explosives while their lives were still in danger. She'd lost sight of her own master, having instead ended up teamed with Set's young apprentice.

Irisa was a welcome sight when she'd come to the other apprentice's side. Mana had been fighting off about six of the raiders on her own, her magic doing little against them and their wicked Ka spirits. The two angelic spirits that guarded Irisa had blazed into that fight and shattered the souls of the people she'd been fighting. It had actually been pretty spectacular to see.

"Mana, get your head out of the clouds!"

The brown haired apprentice mage's head snapped back as one of the Ka spirits of an attacking raider was thrown back from her. She'd zoned out for a moment there, and had once again been rescued by Irisa.

"Sorry about that! Thanks!"

"No problem. Pay attention to what's going on, this is no time to be day dreaming!" She hissed out, sounding quite eerily like her master. The sound of it made Mana flinch.

Irisa was standing near by, her staff held out in front of her in a defensive stance. Her two spirits were flying all around the chamber, knocking various monsters away from the priests as well as the battling guards and apprentices. Her violet eyes were flashing with the solid determination she'd gained from being around one of the most confident magician's in Egypt.

"Mana, give me your back and combine your monster's powers with mine."

"Right!" Mana told her, sliding up next to the other girl and pressing their sides together so that their wand arms were angled next to each other. It was the same pose that she used when fighting with her master's spirit.

"Let's do this! Dark Magic Attack!"

"Shining Blast!"

They commanded their spirits simultaneously, both attacks lighting the room and setting off several of the Millennium objects. It also destroyed several of the spirits that were still fighting in the room. The two apprentices were forced apart then, each one forced into a fight with two or three of their intruders.

Mana had no time to find the other girl; she had to worry for her own safety. She was also determined to reach her master's side once again, knowing that their beasts made a powerful combination. "Master Mahaado! Where are you!"

"Mana, here!" A powerful magical blast flew through the men she'd been fighting, giving her a temporary path to her master. It was the only chance she needed, as she returned to his side.

There was little time for her to be relieved, they were still in danger, still fighting for their very lives. She could only hope Irisa could handle herself alone out there.

(Set)

Something was terribly wrong. These raiders should have been forced out by now, their beasts destroyed or wounded. So then why did they seem to still be entering the grounds? It was strange that there seemed to be no end to their numbers. He was running out of energy, and his mind kept drifting to his allies in this battle. The Pharaoh was still at his side, safe while they were together, but there were others he hadn't laid eyes on since this entire thing started.

Duos(sp?) had destroyed his share of the invading monsters, but even his powerful Ka couldn't hold out much longer. His energy was nearly spent, but he knew he could not rest until every last one of these men was removed from the palace. He dreaded having to summon Kisara's spirit. Powerful though the white dragon was, it would still put too much of a drain on his already weakened spirit. He was nearly to his limit, and still these raiders came.

"I fear there is no end to them, my Pharaoh." He called out, careful to keep his voice steady even though the world was beginning to spin.

"Yes, I know. Where are they all coming from?"

"I have no idea, but I hope for our sakes we defeat them soon. This prolonged battle with Shadow Magic is bound to knock out our less trained allies fairly soon."

He was starting to worry about his young apprentice. Not too long ago Mahaado had come into his sight, Apprentice Mana at his side. It meant that Irisa was likely left alone to fight, and he feared she would be lost in this if it went on much longer.

Set forced his mind back on task just in time to prevent one of the attacking Ka's from destroying Duos. The blow rocked him back on his heals, nearly sending him to his knees from the sheer power of it. "Damnit all! Their beasts are only getting stronger!"

He was momentarily stunned from the blow, and didn't notice another monster coming around behind him until it struck him physically across his back. "Ah!" He tried to force his feet back under him, but found that he wasn't able to move enough to get up. "Damnit! My Pharaoh, you must leave me! Find Priest Mahaado!"

The look their crimson eyed pharaoh gave him spoke volumes. There was no way he'd leave the other man to die, it was against his nature. So long as he breathed, the Pharaoh would defend his life. It wasn't supposed to work that way, but his cousin was a stubborn one.

It wasn't long after this that he heard a voice ring out clearly from somewhere in the chaos, a bright white light following close behind it.

"Leave my master alone!"

The room filled with the powerful energy that poured from his apprentice, her light destroying several of the monsters from the simple purity of it. Set finally managed to sit himself up, ready to rejoin the fight. He stopped dead at what he saw hovering over his apprentice's head.

"It…cannot be…..the White Dragon belonged to Kisara…." He whispered, his hand tightening on the rod.

Yet there it was, the dragon that Kisara had given her life to protect him with. It was different, but not enough to convince him that it wasn't the same creature. "Dear Ra…"

She nearly glowed with the power of her beast, the two angels that were normally found at her sides nowhere to be seen. This was her true spirit all along, and he had been too caught up in his grief to see it. Irisa showed no fear to the overwhelming odds, standing tall amongst the monsters that made to attack her.

As their attention was averted he took the time to note that everyone else was also staring at the shining creature that floated over their heads. Those creatures that hadn't been destroyed were poised to attack, but no more of them were streaming in. Those vivid violet eyes snapped over to him, and he flinched. Truly, she'd been around him too long, to have such a look.

"Master, call your beast! Call out the White Dragon!"

"That _**is**_ the White Dragon…."

"No, my beast is the Shining Dragon, a less powerful version of Kisara's beast. I beg of you, my master, call out her Ka! Help me disperse this Shadow Game!"

"Shadow Game?" Set stood up, his strength returning. "Of course. Why did I not see it before. No army could be that large, no men could replenish their forces so quickly. We are in the midst of a Shadow Game." He ground his teeth together, forcing his sharp mind to work and not focus on the illusion.

He held the rod out from his body, focusing all of his remaining energy into the powerful object. "Grant me the strength, my Millennium Rod. I call on the power of the White Dragon!" Softer he finished his plea. "Kisara, grant me your strength once again."

That was all it took for the dragon to appear, its own shining power rivaling that of Irisa's spirit. This game was over.

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That's it for this chapter.

I'm sorry for the long wait and I hope this will tide you over until I can get the next one out.

Please Read and Review.


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